Cracker traders rue poor sales

AURANGABAD: Growing environmental awareness among citizens and a sharp rise in price of firecrackers effected a sharp 50% decline in sale this Diwali, leaving traders a disappointed lot.
"The 10-15% rise in cracker prices during the last three years has led to a sharp decline in their demand," said Manikchand Mahatale, president of the Aurangabad Firecrackers' Association.
"Growing awareness among people and inclination towards celebrating the festival in a safe and an eco-friendly way too have contributed to the dip in sales of crackers," he added.
Balu Khandelwal, the treasurer of the association, said, "Prices of most varieties of firecrackers have increased by 15-20%. Most shopkeepers found this year's demand very weak this time. Ironically, there was an increase in footfall. But this number did not have any reflection in terms of trade. Several wholesalers are now turning to retail to clear their stock before the festive season ends."
Mahatale said, "It was expected that the demand would have been positive because the festival was in the first week of the month. However, the demand actually dipped by over 40%. With the growing perception about the ill-effects of firecrackers on the environment, we had anticipated a poor business. Last year too, the demand had plummeted by 30-40% since the market was down because of the drought. Of the total products purchased, 30-40% remained unsold. Keeping this in mind, the traders had this time placed orders for only 40-50% of the usual demand."
Gopal Kulkarni, who runs a retail shop at ZP Ground, said, "There's a marked difference in sales compared to what we witnessed this year from the past few years. The prices have gone up almost three times than what it used to be a couple of years ago, dampening the customers' enthusiasm."
Another factor leading to the decline is attributed to children's increasing awareness about the negative effects of firecrackers. "Most schools are carrying out various activities and campaigns to educate the children about the ill-effects of crackers on health and environment," said M Bandukwala, a shopowner at Paithan Gate. "This time, the people opted for firecrackers that are not loud and do not pollute. The choice was for more fancy fireworks that paint the sky in a variety of hues," he added.